1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a friction clutch, especially for motor vehicles, and more particularly to a friction clutch having a housing that is connectable with a flywheel of an internal combustion engine so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to the flywheel, a pressure plate which is arranged in the housing and is acted upon by a spring for pressing a clutch disk provided with friction facings against the flywheel, and a device that comprises at least one element which is changeable along its axial dimensions. The device serves to compensate for the change in position of the pressure plate brought about by wear of the friction facings. A feeler is arranged so that it cannot change position, wherein the contact pressing force of the spring acts on the pressure plate via the compensation device.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A friction clutch of the type mentioned above is known, for example, from German reference DE 43 06 688 C2. This clutch is provided with a feeler which is guided out of the clutch housing and is formed of a pin contacting the flywheel and a lever fastened to the pin. The lever is guided back into the interior of the clutch through a recess provided in the housing and contacts the diaphragm spring. The adjustment device is formed by a slotted conical ring which is pretensioned between the pressure plate and the diaphragm spring. The pin of the feeler projecting through the pressure plate is loaded by a conical spring so that it is seated on a tilt and clamped.
German reference DE 195 06 698 A1 also discloses a friction clutch with automatic wear compensation. The play transmitter is likewise formed by a pin which contacts the flywheel and is guided through the pressure plate. A lever which projects inward radially is fastened to the pin and contacts, by its free end, a compensation device formed of two adjustment rings.
It is disadvantageous that the tilting must be configured for the least favorable operating state, so that it is safely ensured, for example, at high rates of rotation or high axial accelerations. A failure of the tilting leads to an unwanted displacement of the compensation device or to failure of the clutch.